Michael Webster

Dr. Michael Webster is Executive Director of the Coral Reef Alliance (CORAL). An expert in the fields of coral reef science and conservation management, Michael earned a Ph.D. in coral reef fish ecology from Oregon State University. Prior to joining CORAL, Michael coordinated scientific research for Oregon State University’s Partnership for Interdisciplinary Studies of Coastal Oceans (PISCO), and later managed grants for the conservation, management, and scientific understanding of Pacific salmon ecosystems at the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation. Michael is a certified divemaster and has conducted coral reef field research in the Bahamas and Australia.

Convict surgeonfish are the roaming sheep of the reef but, instead of noshing on grass, they feed on algae. Credit: Michael Webster When snorkeling in the Kahekili Herbivore Fisheries Management Area (KHFMA) in West Maui, I...